Walker County is a sister duo from Sulphur Springs IN, a town of 390 people. Ivey Dene and Sophie Dawn would take frequent trips to Nashville from Sulphur Springs very early on, busking on lower Broadway. In fact, the first time the sister duo busked on Broadway Ivey was 12 and Sophie was 9 years old. Bitten by the performance bug the sisters started playing fairs and festivals until about 7 years ago, this duo made the move to Nashville permanently to pursue their passion for music full time.
In the band, Ivey takes on the lead vocals while Sophie sings harmonies and plays the drums. Their father Billy Walker even plays lead guitar and tour manages for Walker County.
“We grew up listening to every genre. We would have the music on 11 in the house all the time. He is such a music fan, and when Ivey and I got old enough and we started showing an interest in it, that made Dad so happy. He made sure that we knew that if we wanted to do that, he would make it happen, and that he would be there and support us. He has always encouraged us to play music and we are so thankful for him” – Sophie Dawn
These sisters have shared the stage with country greats like Dwight Yoakam, Willie Nelson, Martina McBride and are gearing up to release their first summer single, “Bits & Pieces”.
“We received the demo and Sophie and I fell in love with this song. This song is pure fun. It’s all about having a really good time, and when you come to a live show of Walker County we like to be fun, and energetic; be the band that you can forget all your worries when you come and listen to our music, and I think this song is all about that”. – Ivey Dene
Right off the top of this song, you know you’re going to get all the classic country feels with those big splashy electric guitar chords, and jangly guitar riffs mixed beautifully with the drums. The bass sits a little bit further in the background of the intro adding to that classic country vibe. Having the more mid and treble sounds at the forefront of the mix also plays off of the vocal tone and clarity that Ivey brings to the first verse. Accompanied by an acoustic guitar and clap/track Ivey sets the tone with all that good-time, summer party song energy highlighting the story that she’s telling. The electric guitar comes back into the mix with Sophie’s stunningly clear and vibrant harmony vocals in the pre-chorus ramping up the anticipation and adrenaline building towards that payoff in the chorus. I get big Maddie and Tae vibes with the way these two sisters harmonize, love those harmonies!
Then, just like that you hit the chorus and get a nice call back to the intro with all the guitar sounds and the drums coming back into the mix. This time, however, you keep both sets of classic country-inspired clean and bright vocals from the sisters to give you that dancing in the headlights underneath the summer sky kind of feel. The track also does a great job of mixing in the classic country twangy electric guitars, banjo riffs at the end of the chorus, and bright female vocals with a modern country song and story. With Ivey and Sophie singing about drinking to the point of not being able to remember what happened the night before, it brings this song into the stratosphere of Maddie and Tae’s “Girl In A Country Song” in the way that Walker County takes on subject matter that used to be predominantly reserved for male country singers.
Watch Walker County perform “Bits & Pieces” live on The Kelly Clarkson Show:
All in all, a very well-produced and catchy summer song from Walker County that makes me curious to see where their passion for music will take them next.
Keep up with Walker County on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Tiktok.
